Skya Nui
Skya Nui (literally "Big Sky" or "Great Sky" in Matoran) was a massive, artificial sphere floating above the surface of the Southern Continent. It contained the Well of Elements, a mystical vessel believed to be the source of a Toa's Power. History Early History Skya Nui was first created by the Great Beings as a protective shell around the Well of Elements. As an added measure of protection, the Great Beings used the Elemental Well's power to suspend the spherical structure high above the Southern Continent. Within, they created an environment for the Matoran that would maintain the facility. They then forged the original Toa here, and would later use the vessel's power to create a team of twelve Toa to protect the world's Matoran lest anyone endanger the populous. These Toa would protect the city for the next 90,000 years. The Matoran of Skya Nui slowly developed their own society within the sphere. They created strange technology based on the powers offered by the Well of Elements, and used it to fuel their civilization. Great Cataclysm Due to not being bound to the surface, Skay Nui was not affected by the universe-wide earthquake caused by the Great Cataclysm. However, the sphere was near Voya Nui when it rocketed through the dome containing the Southern Continent. While the island did not destroy Skya Nui, the sphere did receive a glancing blow that tore a hole through the surface of its structure. This event eventually allowed others to contact Skya Nui. Many citizens of the Southern Continent simply regarded the sphere as a moon, but when contact with its denizens was made, they quickly began to think otherwise. At first, relations were wary, but some trade was established. The elemental power based technology proved highly valuable, and many began to bargain for it. Soon, trade routes were established and a steady stream of commerce emerged from Skya Nui to the world below. The peace between the two worlds did not last long, though. A group of warlords - Skakdi, Vortixx, and Matoran - came up with the idea to simply take the floating sphere's technology with force. The invasion occurred midsummer 600AGC, and lasted for months. Airships laden with weaponry poured into Skya Nui, and the Matoran desperately tried to fight off the attackers. It was the Toa that played the key role in the fight. Able to make full use of their home's elemental technology, they were able to overpower and repel the invaders, forcing them to leave. The Toa Skya drove the warlords from their home and forced the Matoran to cut all trade with the surface. Some time passed, and Skya Nui once again faded into legend. The Toa War It was not long after the war that the Toa Dreg became vocal about his opinion to create a Toa Empire in Skya Nui. He believed that Toa were given their power to rule over the Matoran, thus protecting them with absolute force. Some of the Toa Skya sympathized with him, while his brother, Rundas, and several other Toa and their leader did not. Eventually, the team divided and waged a great battle for control of Skya Nui. The Toa who had once fought together as brothers now fought themselves, and a great elemental war was waged in the skies of the island. Alvaron, the leader of the Toa, went missing during a crucial battle, and the slaughter of both sides begin. The battle ended with nearly both sides slaughtered. Dreg escaped, disappearing to a place unknown, leaving Rundas as the only protector left in Skya Nui. Geography Skya Nui's outer shell was rather featureless, save for the single opening left by Voya Nui's ascent. At night, the surface would seem to glow, providing a false moon for the citizens of the Southern Continent. Inside, however, was another story. Skya Nui's inner surface was a diverse environment ranging from rocky moors to temperate forests. The world even had two small seas on its inside. Suspended from three support pillars is the light source for the world, which simulates natural day/night patterns. Within the light source is the Well of Elements itself, the source of Skya Nui's power. Due to the nature of the Elemental Well, Toa Stones can and sometimes do occur naturally in deposits on Skya Nui's surface. However, these stones are usually inert and do not usually cause Matoran to transform into Toa. They are prized by the Matoran as gemstones. At the base of each support pillar are the three major population centers: Aedificium, Domus, and Excelsi. Other villages are spread across the world's surface. Society Technology Most of Skya Nui's technology relies on the background elemental power from the Well to function. The cables supporting the Well offer a prime source of elemental power to charge devices. Vehicles, weapons, and even rudimentary computers running on elemental energy have all been produced in Skya Nui, many of which have become mainstays in the native Matoran society and culture. Few Matoran live in houses not lit by elemental lamps, or travel far between cities with cars powered with elemental energy. They Mythology Just like the Matoran of the rest of their universe, Skya Nui's inhabitants have a very rich mythology surrounding their culture. Many of these myths deal with the creation of the sphere, the Well of the Elements, and its eventual destruction. One of the most prominent destruction myths is the Prophecy of the End, which follows as such: Other myths include tales about the creation of the Matoran, and the circumstances of Skya Nui's opening. Cities and Towns There are three primary cities on Skya Nui's surface, each at the base of a pillar that supports the Well of Elements. These pillars also supply a steady stream of power to Skya Nui itself. The cities include: *'Aedificium:' A large city populated by Ga-Matoran and Le-Matoran, Aedificium is a center of high learning and commerce. It's people are advanced workers and designers, and have created many of the vehicles and technologies ubiquitous in the other two cities. It is also the center of trade for most of Skya Nui, and has become the largest city there because of this. Its high standard of living, beautiful scenery, and friendly populous have made it one of the most desirable locations to live. *'Domus:' Inhabited primarily by Ta-Matoran and Po-Matoran, Domus is the manufacturing heart of Skya Nui. Masks, tools, vehicles, and more are assembled by its elite artisans and craftsmen that live in the city. While also being the smallest city, without it, the rest of Skya Nui would not have the vehicles or tools designed in Aedificium. It's poor living conditions and haphazard layout have made it a less favorable place for Matoran to live. *'Excelsi:' Built in a tundra-covered area, one would think Excelsi would be the last place any Matoran would live. However, the tall crystal towers and deep caverns below show otherwise. The Onu-Matoran make their homes in the mines below the city, extracting valuable resources to be shipped to Domus, while the Ko-Matoran live above, attempting to improve upon Aedificium's designs and learn about the Well of Elements. There are numerous other villages scattered across Skya Nui's inner surface, each providing lesser tasks to the larger cities. Some of the major towns include: *'Bo-Koro': A small village known for its farming and agriculture, it provides most of the food for the other cities. It is primarily populated by Bo-Matoran. *'Su-Koro': Situated in a small, wasteland moor, Su-Koro is best known for the mining of lightstones and Toa Stone gems. Inhabitants *Matoran **Toa **Turaga *Multiple species of Rahi Trivia *Skya Nui was an old idea, conceived by Echo 1 back in 2010. *Skya Nui's structure resembles a Dyson Sphere, a hypothetical construct that would surround a star. However, Skya Nui does not have a star at its center, and is far smaller than the hypothetical megastructure. *Skya Nui drew inspiration from several sources, including the Forerunner Shield World known as Onyx from Halo and the floating continent of Cocoon from Final Fantasy XIII, which also provides the page's image. Category:Locations